When I was a dancer, the phrase "From the Top!" was used on a regular basis, many times per day. It is a reference to returning to the very beginning, going again and trying to improve on your last efforts. At the start of the year, in the midst of all this, I decided to go from the top, but this time as a Web Developer.

const whichPortfolio = (person) => {

  if (person.profession === 'Web Developer') {
    return 'sp-wright.github.io/portfolio/';
  } 
  if (person.profession === 'Photographer') {
    return 'stephenwrightphotography.com/';
  } 
  return 'linkedin.com/in/sp-wright/';

};

As a photographer with my own portfolio website, I would spend a great deal of time using a generic website builder and although it was very useful, there were some limitations that I either had to put up with or find workarounds to solve problems.

At the start of the year, with suddenly a lot of time on my hands, I decided to start a Udemy course and learn how to make websites! I picked up the The Complete 2020 Web Development Bootcamp taught by Dr. Angela Yu.

I had originally set out to work 3-4 hours a day to study and work though the material, but after typing out my first html tag, I was hooked! For the next 2 months I would spend 8-10 hours a day working through the course, reading around the subject and working on my own small side projects.

Using logic to create design has blown my mind 🤯!

The freedom of using logic to create design has blown my mind. It has totally consumed me, and now all I want to do is code or learn about code!

I have always been wired as a logical thinker (INTJ apparently!), but I have never been able to scratch that cognitive itch the same way coding does. There is something so uniquely satisfying about mapping over an array or objects, destructuring the data and displaying it in your own custom styled components 🙌.

Since finishing the course I have now built out my commercial photography portfolio, designing and building it just the way I wanted it (image below), built out many personal projects (GitHub) & most excitingly, I have just started working with my first client, designing and building their portfolio website.

I am currently on the hunt for my first London based/Remote developer role. I am particularly interested in working with the front-end, using modern frameworks to code up beautiful designs.

Although I am beginning again 'from the top', I feel very excited to go again, but this time as a Web Developer!